Beach / Pool Area
The hotel is big. The pool area is accommodating, but like most hotels of this pedigree there are only so many pool chairs available at certain times of the day. If you come down by 9-10am you should be able to find some pool chairs somewhere, any later than that good luck. Also, because the hotel is a 14-storey tower, by 2pm and onwards a shadow is casted upon parts of the pool area, which only gets worse as the day progresses. For some people this may be a problem or for others they just adapt and move around to find the best spots at the different times of the day. Luckily, the best part of the pool, the infinity pool, is one of the last parts to be draped in shadows, so enjoy. Oh, and the hot tub isn't actually hot, go figure.
With the many storms that have hit the Cancun area over the last years, beach erosion has been a common problem for most of the area's hotels. Surprisingly, the Riu Cancun's beach kept up relatively well, although it is obviously depleted and slowly being re-developed. But that doesn't mean it is non-existent. Like most shorelines in the area, the water can be choppy, but also pleasant at times. There are always waves, but they can vary in severity. We were able to swim nicely and enjoyed the constant ride of the waves up and down, nothing too concerning on a mild day and a great way to cool off.
When we went, there were really only 2 beach spots at either end of the hotel. The one by the volleyball court was packed with sunbathers but the other end was much more relaxed. Just like the pool, beach chairs are at a premium if you come down too late. We found the best system was to come down to the less busy beach area by 10am, relax there until 1-2pm, when the shadows started to appear. Then go for some lunch and then head down to the other end of the property were the infinity pool was and try to enjoy the rest of the sun there until 4pm. For us, it was a winning and stress free strategy and it allowed us to have the best experience possible.
Conclusion
Overall, we choose the Riu Cancun not knowing what to expect, and we came back pleasantly surprised and we thought the hotel exceeded our expectations. We had a great time and truly enjoyed our experience. We would definitely recommend to anyone that they try out this hotel. It is reasonably priced for the experience you are going to get.
Hotel Info Sheet (6.75 MB)
Last updated: January 2010
